Thanks to the kids, I got interesting topics

I wrote it before in my blog that I often visit temples and get signs called shuin(like signatures and stamps) in my shuin tyou book. Chita shikoku, a series of temples which a well known Buddhism priest visited long time ago, includes 98 temples for completion. I just got 29 temples’ shuin of them.

Nomadaibou(has its name ‘oomidouji‘ as the official name) is one of 98 temples I’m going to get their shuin. I had some photos and got interesting topics around the temple. This time, I’ll introduce them to you.

She already knows what the elder haven’t noticed

Now that information I often get is from Internet, not TV. The opportunities I watch TV are dramatically decreasing. Under such cercumstances, however, one girl, who is just an elementary school student, attracted me by chance in early Saturday morning.

The girl in one TV program got a terrible disease and was in the hospital for a month. While in the hospital, she saw one Japanese malathon athlete running in a race. The female athlete stumbled in her race again and again, however, she didn’t give up her race and kept running. The girl in the hospital got so touched with the athlete and decided to run like the athlete. After she got out from the hospital, she kept running and that made her healther.

She, as TV said, recorded how much time she got in running 3 kilometers and tried to run over it within 20 minutes. It sounds like very tough for female elementary students to do so in such time. TV staff invited a coach from an university and let him teach the girl how to well run, especially the running form. What’s interesting is that she thought a lot of things on running by herself. She not only got what the coach tried to teach but also questioned the coach again after she thought it. “genuinely absorb what the senior said, think it enough and try it by oneself” are the essential method for people to get better in any category.

There are some English learners in Japan who only ask. Ask…ask…ask… “Which textbooks are better?” “Tell me the best way to get a higher score in the test” “Tell me the secret to speak English fluently” you can already get a lot of methods or secrets from a lot of teachers and books. All you have to do now is just keep using, keep learing English, not think or learn about the best WAYS.

In the TV program, the girl attended the competition and surprisingly accomplished her target, less than 17(not 20) minutes for 3 kilometers. She already knows the ways to improve herself. “O.K. What about you?” such words appeared in my brain through screen.

It was so impressive in her mother’s words that she always grabbed her insurance card and patient registration card just in case every time her daughter attended the race but she told her daughter that she gave them away. During the race, the mother’s heart must have been pounding and hoped nothing happened to her daughter.

Dogu express respects for mother goddess

I’ve finally started writing an article that Mugami requested, which is about Jomon era. I’ll focus on Dogu in the article.

Do you know Dogu? Dogu are figurines made from clay in Jomon era, about 14,000 B.C. to 400 B.C. I got a chance to visit the Tokyo National Museum in Ueno at the end of the last year. The exhibit on Dogu were held in there.

Funny Dreams Chapter 6…”Wrath of God”

(These articles in this category are just a fictional story I had in my dream. The character, H.P., indicates me.)

-Prologue-

We have one English test called ‘TOEIC S/W’ in Japan. TOEIC, Test of English for International Communication, is a very famous test in Japan. You can check your English reading and listening knowledge in the test. TOEIC S/W, on the contrary, is the test for speaking and writing. Like TOEFL ibt, you have to sit before a computer, reply for the questions with your voice or by typing. The test has 200 points for each speaking part and writing part. I took the test 2 weeks ago and haven’t gotten the result of it yet. I guess I would get 100 points for each part.

– The Funny Dream –

H.P. was in an apartment where his ex-girlfriend lived. He woke up and saw her sleeping in the bed. He slid out off the bed so as not to disturb her sleep. Preparing for coffee, he made his way to the post at the door. He knew he could get the result of one test called ‘TOEIC S/W’, which he took a few weeks ago. He guessed he got 100 points for each part.

There was an envelope in the post. He found it said the result notice from the institute of the test. He couldn’t help opening up it. His heart was so pounding that he felt as if his heart would have risen up from his mouth. It said he got 130 points for speaking and 160 points for writing.

He didn’t know why, but he felt something unsatisfied. Ofcourse he knew he accomplished the target he thought before. ‘Ummmm…’, mumbling something, he walked around the room looking the result in his hand. He didn’t know what he was thinking and trying when he looked back what he did at that time. He grabbed an oil-based marker pen and started writing the points he got on the window. ‘Ummm…I got 130 points for speaking, 160 points for writing. How should I do next, then? To get more chances to talk with someone in English? To polish up my pronunciations in somewhere? Ummm…’ H.P. stood before the window and was gazing the number on the window.

‘What the hell are you doing????!!!!’ The thunderous shout hit H.P.’s head from his back. It was his ex-girlfriend, who had her wrathful face. H.P. didn’t know what made her so angry. ‘Hey, good morning. I got coffee for you.’ H.P. smiled her. She, however, continued her anger and said to H.P. ‘What the hell is it? What the hell is it?’ Something she pointed out was the oil-based marker pen. ‘It’s a pen…Oh, my God!!! I’m so sorry… I didn’t notice it’s…’ H.P. lost his words and understood what she got angry. ‘Erase it with this!’ she dashed back to her bed and got back, holding something. It was a polish remover for her make-up.

H.P. just killed his time in the morning, scouring the window like a janitor. ‘130 points for speaking, 160 points for writing…’ while scouring, he still kept mumbling.

Every little thing in my ordinary life 7

vaccinated but caught other one
The number of people infected swine flu is decreasing in Japan, however, we even now have to be careful with it. I got a chance to be vaccinated last week. Nothing about flu would interrupt my life any more, I thought. Sadly, I got other virus and was in bed with a high fever for a few days in this week. The fever went down on Wednesday, and I thought I could work hard the following day. But my guess was wrong. I mean, I should have done better with myself. One of my subordinate called me and helped me his negotiation, which he had to go to the place his obligator lived and order to get his money back or have his bike back.

We didn’t know if the obligator would keep living in the place I investigated before. Fortunately, he was there. ‘Hey, do you remember me?’ said my subordinate. ‘Sorry, I don’t know.’ said the obligator. ‘I ordered a customed bike at your shop and already paid my money for it. What have you done?’ said my subordinate. The obligator understood who the subordinate was and started explaining what he had been. ‘At first, I’m here to write a document to help my subordinate. You must sign it and pledge what you must do in it. We don’t care whatever happened to you. I’m sure you do understand what I’m saying.’ said I gently. ‘Yes, ofcourse. I was supposed to reach for him. Sorry, I couldn’t.’ said the obligator.

Listening to his explanationa(excuses), I wrote the lawful document like an oath. After finished, I firstly showed it to my subordinate and explained each term to let him know which advantages he got and disadvantages he got. And then, I showed it to the obligator as well. After that, the obligator gave his fingerprint and his signature on the document. I kept standing and sitting at the door while negotiating. It was so cold…

The fever rose up again when I was home.

the FBI agent did something wild like Jack Bauer
I bought two games when I was in Tokyo last year. One of them is ‘ART OF MURDER HUNT FOR THE PUPPETEER.’ In order to arrest the terrible murderer, called ‘PUPPETEER’, Nicole Bonnet is called in again. The murderer decorated all the deceased like marionettes, which were hung on ceilings or walls. Nicole Bonnet traced a lot of clues and made her way to three countries, France, Spain, Cuba.

This is my second time to play a mystery game in English, following ‘Alone In the Dark.’ It was difficult to play ‘Alone…’ This new game was also difficult. The former was difficult because it was easy to die, the latter was difficult because it was complicated to find the usages and combinations of items. Please check the film around 1:40. I wrapped the dall with the map and taped it. I already cleared the game before recorded this, so it looks like I found the idea easily. But it took toooooooooooooooo long at the first time play.

Nicole Bonnet was a very intelligent and tough woman like Jack Bauer. Even though she had to get an order to go back to the States from French police, she ran away from the French police officer and kept investigating. Sometimes she sneaks the site from the roof to get clues without the permissions.

It didn’t meet my expectation so much only around the final part, however, it was interesting overall. By the way, Nicole Bonnet said in the game to the French officer like this; ‘He’s gone at last. A truly unpleasant Frog.’ The word ‘Frog’ is usually used in ordinary life? I checked it with my dictionary. It is one of slangs, isn’t it?